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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: rush · wound · object · wind · racket · mate · craft · press

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — hurry
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — to protest
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — to breed
  17. object — a thing
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. press — newspapers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. press — to push
  22. mate — a partner
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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