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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: jam · lash · arm · press · key · race · degree · face

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. press — newspapers
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. key — the most important part
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. key — for a lock
  11. press — a publisher
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — in music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. race — the arms race
  23. press — to push
  24. jam — in traffic

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