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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: rest · press · race · wake · spell · mate

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. race — humankind
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — a contest
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rest — a break

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