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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: fan · dip · coach · sharp · charge · arm · snap · rash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. sharp — clever
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. rash — hasty
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — a series

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