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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — a publisher
  4. board — a committee
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — completely
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to confront
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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