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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: current · bat · rash · bank · chip · pop · dip · hide

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. current — electric

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