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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: date · race · swing · hide · chair · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. date — the fruit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. swing — to play on
  10. race — a contest
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. race — humankind
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. race — the arms race
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — animal skin

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