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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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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: dip · rock · chip · nail · wind · coach · cap · kick

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kick — in football
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chip — in a computer

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