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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — for digging
  23. press — to push
  24. stem — of a plant

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