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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: drill · face · pass · game · snap · bowl · date · fan

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. snap — to click
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to confront
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. date — the fruit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — a permit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. drill — army training
  24. date — on the calendar

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