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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · mate · board · row · current · mouse · snap · hand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. current — electric
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to click
  16. row — a line
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — happening now
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. board — a committee

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