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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: leaves · kid · suit · roll · chair · bowl · can · fall

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — the season
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — to fit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. roll — a list
  24. kid — to tease

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