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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: wind · mark · mug · fall · rash · press · craft · charge

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. charge — in control
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. charge — a price
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. fall — to drop
  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