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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · key · cue · deal · bay · land · snap · lash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — in music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — ground
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. key — for a lock

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