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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 · deal · current · lash · fall · spell · ruler · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — letters
  3. roll — a list
  4. fall — the season
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bank — of a river
  10. current — of water
  11. spell — magic
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — electric
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. deal — to handle
  19. current — happening now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. roll — a cake

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