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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
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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: dip · jam · plane · chest · roll · ball · mug · hand

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mug — to rob
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chest — a box
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mug — a face
  22. roll — a list
  23. hand — help
  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