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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: fan · snap · pit · lean · hand · net · sharp · hide

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pit — in a race
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — for catching
  8. lean — thin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to click
  21. net — in sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hide — animal 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