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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: race · press · bass · temple · root · patient · lash · plane

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. race — humankind
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. root — the cause
  10. race — the arms race
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a word
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bass — low music
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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