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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: craft · pitcher · press · bass · cold · wave · cue · rush

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bass — low music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — to push
  17. craft — boats
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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