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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: fan · spell · face · snap · lash · staff · band · jam

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — letters
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — magic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — to confront
  14. band — a ring
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — part of the head
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — a stick
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. snap — to click
  24. spell — a short time

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