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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: swing · rash · press · race · wave · suit

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — to push
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. swing — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. race — humankind
  11. swing — in golf
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. race — a contest
  18. suit — in cards

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