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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: land · bank · dip · lash · chip · lean · cue · swing

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — to play on
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cue — a signal
  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