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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: arm · march · chip · mate · swing · hand · wave · date

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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 — in a computer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chip — to eat
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — music
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — to play on
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a partner
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — for betting
  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