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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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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: stand · chip · ball · snap · trunk · rest · date · dip

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a great time
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chip — for betting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — to bear

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