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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: rush · race · mark · perch · press · bass · ruler · hide

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. press — to push
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. race — the arms race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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