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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: date · coach · dip · kick · rash · hand · stem · plane

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. kick — in football
  4. dip — to sink
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — help
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. plane — a tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — in cards

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