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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: chip · spell · lean · can · roll · sharp · drill · last

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. last — final
  6. spell — letters
  7. can — to be able to
  8. roll — a cake
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chip — to eat
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — to go on
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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