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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. net — in sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. net — for catching
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. dip — to sink

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