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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: bulb · net · roll · ball · mouse · plane · leaves · fall

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — the season
  17. ball — a dance
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a list
  24. leaves — to go away

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