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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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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: face · lean · mine · net · fan · jam · suit · chip

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. face — to confront
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. face — to point toward
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lean — thin
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. jam — in traffic

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