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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. last — final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — to push
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — in music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. last — to go on
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mark — a trace

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