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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: snap · suit · vault · net · fan · face · current · swing

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to click
  5. face — to confront
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. suit — clothes
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — part of the head
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. current — happening now
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. swing — music
  24. net — for catching

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