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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: fan · snap · rush · mug · net · board · game · mouse

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a committee
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — after costs
  10. mug — a face
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — for catching
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — in sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — hurry

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