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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: fall · roll · rock · hide · scale · band · bat · firm

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. roll — a list
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — in music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. band — a ring
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. firm — a company
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — steady

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