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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: dip · rush · wind · arm · temple · wake · chair · bay

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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