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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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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: spell · cap · swing · wind · hide · toast · dip · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. chest — a box
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. swing — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wind — moving air
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — of ice
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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