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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: lash · fan · board · cap · mouse · snap · stand · court

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. snap — to click
  23. cap — of ice
  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