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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · squash · cold · chair · firm · chip · deal · lean

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. deal — to handle
  7. firm — steady
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chip — in a computer
  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