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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: lie · kid · can · fan · root · mate · snap · march

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. snap — to click
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a friend
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. root — the cause
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lie — an untruth

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