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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: fan · roll · fall · stem · bound · swing · bulb · perch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — the season
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. roll — a list

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