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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — a position
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — electric
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — to eat
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — the season

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