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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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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 · board · saw · stick · lash · pass · leaves

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to click

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