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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 120 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: wave · dip · fall · bay · cell · mark · trunk · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fall — the season
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cell — a phone
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cell — in a prison

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