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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. board — to get on
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — the amount
  13. press — newspapers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. content — happy
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — the season

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