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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 · saw · mug · date · lash · board · staff

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. date — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — to rob
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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