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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · plane · wound · bass · stick · chip · rush · kick

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chip — for betting

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