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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: fine · toast · lean · kid · kick · chip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chip — for betting
  3. toast — bread
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — all right
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — in football
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — thin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kid — to tease

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