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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: bass · present · perch · mouse · race · face · last · rush

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. present — there
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. race — the arms race
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — to confront
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. face — to point toward

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