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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: rush · race · bass · file · leaves · safe · season · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — of the year
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — a series
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. race — the arms race
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — a contest
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a line of people

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