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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. board — a committee
  3. last — final
  4. press — newspapers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — to push
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — a phone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. march — the month
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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