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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: clip · court · chair · board · wind · dip · arm · saw

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. clip — a video
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chair — a leader
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. clip — for paper
  17. court — of a king
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. chair — to sit on

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