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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: foot · bowl · cabinet · dip · safe · rash · kid · coach

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rash — a series
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. foot — the bottom

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