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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: straw · snap · net · prune · hide · fan · face · rock

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to click
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to confront
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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