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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: wave · date · content · rush · chip · wake · swing · pass

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — happy
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. date — the fruit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. date — on the calendar

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