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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · wave · fall · fork · wound · cap · suit · bowl

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com