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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — to push
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ball — a dance
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — clever
  21. board — to get on
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. press — newspapers

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