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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. press — newspapers
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — a price
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — a list
  11. bass — the fish
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — thin
  14. bass — low music
  15. press — a publisher
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. board — a committee
  22. vault — a safe
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. press — to push

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