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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 120 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: cabinet · rash · saw · fan · mark · ground · dip · chip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. saw — the tool

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