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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pop — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — to come down
  12. snap — to click
  13. face — to confront
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. face — to point toward
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — ground
  20. net — in sport
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pop — to visit
  24. suit — to fit

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