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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 116 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — of a word
  6. press — to push
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — the cause
  13. clip — a video
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — the most important part
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — of a plant

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