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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: plane · temple · chip · bound · roll · row · trunk · dip

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — to eat
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. roll — a list
  16. dip — to sink
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. plane — a tool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — obliged
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — for betting
  24. roll — on a roll

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