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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 · land · snap · file · coach · spell · press · bulb

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — a publisher
  4. race — a contest
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a document
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. land — ground
  9. file — a tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — humankind
  22. land — a country
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. coach — a trainer

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