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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.

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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: racket · spell · cold · charge · craft · mouse · wind · pass

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — a price
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — in control
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — a skill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. craft — boats

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