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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 · content · fall · rule · wind · calf · cabinet · leaves

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. roll — a cake
  14. content — happy
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — the amount
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rule — government
  24. cabinet — ministers

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