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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. toast — bread
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chip — for betting
  12. board — a committee
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wake — before a funeral

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