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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · roll · hand · spell · board · kid · rock · wind

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — in cards
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. board — to get on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — a cake
  24. board — a committee

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