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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: snap · rush · sharp · wind · saw · mouse · racket · rash

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wind — moving air
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. sharp — with an edge

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