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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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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: rash · mate · lash · pit · board · snap · present · fan

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. mate — a friend
  18. board — to get on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to click
  21. present — there
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. present — the time now

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