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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: lean · cabinet · swing · chip · dip · vault · staff · date

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — a safe
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — to play on
  24. staff — employees

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