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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rash — a series
  5. hand — in cards
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wind — moving air
  20. craft — a skill
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — the animal

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