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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
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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: mouse · snap · spring · face · fan · last · scale · cabinet

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — a coil
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — in music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. face — part of the head
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. scale — size or range

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