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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — to push
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mark — a grade
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wind — moving air
  24. band — a rubber band

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