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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
468
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: chip · mug · lash · dip · stand · bass · straw · date

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mug — a face
  10. chip — to eat
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stand — on your feet

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