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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: snap · mouse · stand · board · lash · march · plane · tube

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. snap — to click
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — to get on
  13. march — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — for spectators

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