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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.

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: face · race · mouse · shower · bass · press · present · rock

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — a gift
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — to confront
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bass — the fish
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bass — low music
  24. press — newspapers

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