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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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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: cap · dip · arm · coach · chip · snap · fall · deal

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a lid
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chip — to eat
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fall — the season
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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