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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a committee
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fall — the season
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — to get on

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