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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: dip · roll · chair · saw · wind · arm · hide · toast

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. roll — a cake
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. roll — a list
  11. toast — bread
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. roll — on a roll

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