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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a committee
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — to push
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — in music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. press — newspapers
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bulb — for light

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