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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. press — to push
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — a publisher
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — a division
  15. race — a contest
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret

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