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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — in biology
  5. press — a publisher
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — a phone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — hasty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. squash — the sport
  18. board — to get on
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. degree — from a university
  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