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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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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: craft · mouse · capital · staff · press · wind · snap · calf

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. capital — money
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. press — to push
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. capital — a big letter

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