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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. clip — a video
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. row — a line
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. press — to push
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kick — in football
  16. wind — moving air
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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