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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.

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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 · face · lean · foot · chip · cap · roll · snap

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. snap — to click
  6. lean — to bend
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. face — to confront
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cap — a hat
  21. roll — a list
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. face — to point toward

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