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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: bass · lash · mouse · craft · press · suit · game · bat

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. press — newspapers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. suit — clothes
  12. press — to push
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. press — a publisher

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