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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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468
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: dip · chip · bound · wake · arm · wind · stem · bass

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. chip — for betting

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