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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 120 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: arm · race · mate · rash · press · file · plane · bass

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rash — a series
  14. race — the arms race
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — to push

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