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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 124 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. press — a publisher
  11. squash — the sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — a gift
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — there

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