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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: kick · rush · pass · chair · mouse · craft · trunk · net

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — in sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kick — in football
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — to sit on

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