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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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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: fan · cap · cabinet · can · season · snap · rash · mark

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — of the year
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. snap — to click
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — a hat
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rash — on the skin

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