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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 · roll · kid · tube · mate · kick · firm · plane

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. firm — decided
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kid — to tease
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — to breed
  7. roll — a cake
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — a container
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kid — child
  16. mate — a partner
  17. firm — steady
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. plane — a tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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