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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: rush · cold · rash · race · mug · suit · press · stock

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stock — goods
  12. press — a publisher
  13. race — humankind
  14. cold — not warm
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — a contest
  22. rash — hasty
  23. press — to push
  24. suit — clothes

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