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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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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 · stick · chip · fall · safe · kick · rock · date

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kick — in football
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chip — for betting
  19. roll — a list
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. roll — a cake
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — to move gently

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