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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 116 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: file · coach · hand · fan · cap · chip · dip · bore

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to drill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cap — of ice
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — to eat
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. hand — help

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