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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. row — a line
  7. fall — to drop
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — to push
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. press — newspapers
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — a publisher
  24. firm — decided

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