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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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Word bank
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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 · present · fan · cabinet · deal · rock · rash · fall

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — a stone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — to handle
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — an agreement

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