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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: mate · fall · hide · dip · tube · fan · face · key

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — to confront
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. face — part of the head
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tube — a container
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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