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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 120 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: dip · rock · chip · bowl · hand · spell · saw · fall

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fall — the season
  15. dip — to sink
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hand — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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