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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: spell · mouse · swing · date · lash · wound · craft · press

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spell — letters
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. swing — to play on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — the fruit
  14. spell — magic
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — newspapers
  20. swing — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. date — on the calendar

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