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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: file · charge · hand · dip · wind · cap · stick · arm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. charge — in control
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — help
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a document
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wind — to turn a key

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