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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 120 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: saw · race · rash · face · pop · mark · bass · staff

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — to confront
  3. race — humankind
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — a contest
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pop — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bass — low music
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a grade
  24. race — the arms race

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