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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: chip · wound · kid · bowl · roll · lean · jam · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. board — to get on
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. board — a committee
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — child
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — a list
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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