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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 · drill · fan · mate · deal · court · plane · mouse

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. court — of a king
  24. mouse — the animal

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