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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: net · wind · bowl · can · season · rash · arm · rush

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — for catching
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

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