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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: spell · chip · foot · band · cue · dip · fan · lean

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — for pool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chip — to eat
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — letters
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. band — a ring
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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