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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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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: snap · wave · fan · chair · press · race · craft · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — a break
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — humankind
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a leader
  11. craft — a skill
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. race — the arms race
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. snap — to click
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. press — to push
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — newspapers
  24. race — a contest

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