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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 120 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: cap · pit · hand · pass · fine · snap · chest · fan

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — all right
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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