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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — the cause
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chip — for betting
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. march — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — the month
  22. chest — a box
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. root — of a word

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