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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · spell · wound · deal · cap · fan · pass · fine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spell — letters
  5. cap — a hat
  6. deal — to handle
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spell — magic
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — a short time
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — a supporter

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