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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a committee
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — to push
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kick — in football
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — all right
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — a penalty

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