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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: wave · dip · chip · saw · face · hand · foot · club

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. face — to point toward
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. face — to confront
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hand — help
  15. club — for golf
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chip — for betting
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — a group

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