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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: press · race · foot · dip · degree · lash · charge · perch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — newspapers
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — a measure
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — temperature
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. race — humankind
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. race — a contest
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. degree — an amount
  19. press — to push
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — electricity
  24. press — a publisher

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