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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: cap · coach · snap · board · shower · mouse · firm · kid

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. firm — decided
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — of ice
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kid — child
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. kid — to tease
  18. firm — a company
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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