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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: bowl · bat · tube · fall · ruler · leaves · mouse · cabinet

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bat — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ruler — for measuring

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