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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: fall · bound · toast · fan · roll · rush · wound · club

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. roll — a list
  3. rush — hurry
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wound — an injury
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. toast — bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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