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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 · mouse · lash · cell · snap · jam · degree · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to click
  17. net — after costs
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — in sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — a supporter

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