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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: chip · date · cold · scale · roll · lash · bank · nail

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chip — for betting
  20. roll — a list
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cold — not warm

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