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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: season · wave · date · bank · bark · straw · dip · chip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. date — the fruit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — of the year
  24. straw — dry grass

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