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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: chip · lie · wave · roll · dip · date · straw · vault

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. date — the fruit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. roll — a list
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chip — for betting
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. roll — a cake
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — dry grass

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