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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: face · net · arm · mark · fan · suit · cold · pass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cold — not warm
  4. net — after costs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — for catching
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — part of the head
  14. suit — clothes
  15. face — to confront
  16. cold — an illness
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mark — to pay attention

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