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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hand — help
  4. board — to get on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lean — thin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — to crush
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — in cards
  13. press — to push
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a committee
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lean — to bend
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mouse — the animal

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