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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: wave · cold · mark · stick · dip · game · chip · kick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cold — not warm
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — for betting

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