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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: press · wave · cold · rash · rock · leaves · nail · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rock — a stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — to push
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rock — music
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. leaves — lets stay

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