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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: foot · dip · toast · wind · plane · rule · hand · mug

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. wind — moving air
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rule — a law
  16. toast — bread
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mug — a face

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