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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: snap · mate · fall · field · board · roll · kick · bank

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. field — for sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — a cake
  6. field — farmland
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kick — in football
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. roll — a list
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — a subject
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — for money

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