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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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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: arm · wind · craft · band · coach · chip · dip · bass

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chip — to eat
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chip — for betting
  24. arm — part of the body

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