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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bay · race · plane · rash · dip · pop · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. race — humankind
  3. rash — a series
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mug — to rob
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — music

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