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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
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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: wind · press · craft · spring · bass · board · rash · toast

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spring — the season
  4. rash — a series
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — boats
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spring — of water
  22. press — to push
  23. board — a committee
  24. rash — on the skin

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