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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 120 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: racket · rash · cap · wave · kick · rule · straw · press

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. rash — a series
  8. rule — a law
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rule — government
  23. cap — of ice
  24. racket — for tennis

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