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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.

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: lean · snap · fan · spring · lie · fork · pitch · mug

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spring — of water
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mug — a face
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spring — the season
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitch — completely

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