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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: leaves · bear · squash · rest · march · roll · fall · kick

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fall — to drop
  6. march — the month
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rest — what's left

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