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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cap · can · dip · patient · object · key · fan

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — in music
  5. object — a thing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to click
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — to protest
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — a tin

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