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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 116 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 · mark · shower · press · stock · cap · safe · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. press — to push
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — of ice
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cap — a lid
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rush — a thrill

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