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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — for golf
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — a committee
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — to get on
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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