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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — to push
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. net — for catching
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fall — the season
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — in football
  23. net — after costs
  24. board — to get on

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