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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: lean · scale · chip · vault · dip · patient · rest · roll

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lean — thin
  8. rest — a break
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. dip — to sink
  17. roll — a cake
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. scale — in music
  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