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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — music
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — clothes
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — the season
  24. perch — the fish

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