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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: roll · racket · lash · dip · cold · wake · chip · ball

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chip — to eat
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cold — an illness
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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