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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: rash · race · kick · plane · press · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — a contest
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — the arms race
  14. face — to confront
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. press — a publisher
  18. race — humankind

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