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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — to go on
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. board — a committee
  21. pass — a permit
  22. press — to push
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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