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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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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: fall · kick · roll · snap · fan · lash · deal · present

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. roll — a cake
  8. snap — to click
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — a list
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kick — in football
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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