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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rest — a break
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. swing — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. swing — in golf

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