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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 · bank · fall · can · racket · craft · hide · content

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a skill
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. craft — boats
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. roll — a cake
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — happy
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — to be able to

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