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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 116 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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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 · mug · net · lean · cap · last · firm · snap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — decided
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — to go on
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — a hat
  13. last — final
  14. lean — thin
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — a lid
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — steady
  21. last — finally
  22. net — after costs
  23. mug — a cup
  24. snap — to click

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