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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: stand · spell · sharp · cabinet · chip · coach · fan · kick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fan — a supporter

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