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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — to paddle
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. charge — in control
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — high quality
  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