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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: net · craft · staff · snap · lash · mate · rush · ball

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. net — for catching
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. craft — a skill
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. craft — boats
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — a friend
  23. net — in sport
  24. mate — to breed

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