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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: kid · coach · jam · mouse · fan · foot · dip · kick

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — a measure
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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