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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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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: fan · dip · wind · snap · mouse · charge · swing · craft

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. swing — music
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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