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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: chip · drill · roll · lean · content · bay · bowl · temple

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lean — thin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — to bend
  16. content — the amount
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. drill — army training

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