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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · coach · object · dip · tube · kid · kick · pitcher

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — to sink
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kid — to tease
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — to protest
  19. tube — a container
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — in a tire

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