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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: press · rash · face · land · rush · lash · charge · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rash — a series
  3. press — newspapers
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. rash — hasty
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — a publisher
  16. face — to confront
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — hurry
  22. land — to come down
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — a price

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