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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: board · cabinet · object · mate · swing · chip · wind · dip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. object — to protest
  2. dip — to sink
  3. object — an aim
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. object — a thing
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — to get on
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chip — to eat
  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