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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. swing — in golf
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. swing — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. row — a line
  11. cap — of ice
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. row — to paddle
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — to eat
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bat — the animal

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