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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 · roll · stand · suit · pop · snap · foot

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. suit — to fit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. suit — clothes
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. foot — a measure
  15. face — to confront
  16. stand — to bear
  17. face — part of the head
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — part of the body

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