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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: last · stand · plane · wind · dip · arm · roll · chip

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. roll — a list
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — finally
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — for spectators

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