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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: row · wind · craft · dip · hand · perch · leaves · chip

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. craft — boats
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. hand — help
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hand — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chip — to eat
  16. dip — to sink
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — a line

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