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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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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: cue · chip · dip · swing · fall · can · content · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cue — a hint
  3. swing — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cue — for pool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — the amount
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fall — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — a signal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. swing — in golf

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