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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: mark · chip · tube · date · leaves · wound · present · wave

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — an injury
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a grade
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — a gift
  24. wave — of the sea

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