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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 water is too ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — to get on
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. current — of water
  23. board — a committee
  24. mouse — for a computer

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