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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: wax · kick · dip · coach · fan · pop · net · pit

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pit — a hole
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kick — in football
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. net — for catching
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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