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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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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: mate · rash · foot · race · cap · charge · press · lean

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rash — hasty
  6. press — newspapers
  7. race — a contest
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — a friend
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. press — a publisher
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rash — a series
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — electricity

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