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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: kid · firm · mouse · dip · plane · wave · kick · roll

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. firm — steady
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. plane — an aircraft

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