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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
468
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 · bear · race · press · land · trunk · kick · rash

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — ground
  5. race — humankind
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — to come down
  9. press — to push
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rush — hurry
  12. race — a contest
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. land — a country
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kick — in football
  24. rush — a thrill

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