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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: roll · stick · chip · lean · plane · fall · wound · bay

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lean — thin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — to eat
  6. roll — a list
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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