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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — a group
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. press — to push
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lean — thin
  21. board — to get on
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pit — in a race

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