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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: object · bore · face · chip · bass · can · roll · kick

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — to protest
  5. chip — to eat
  6. roll — a list
  7. kick — in football
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bass — the fish
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — low music
  24. face — to confront

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