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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: cap · mate · pop · lean · fan · bore · dip · face

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. face — to confront
  6. pop — to visit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pop — soda
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — to sink

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