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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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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: tear · deal · press · file · charge · bear · bass · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tear — to rip
  4. press — newspapers
  5. file — a document
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a line of people
  15. press — to push
  16. file — a tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. press — a publisher
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. charge — in control

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