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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. plane — a tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — thin
  17. board — a committee
  18. press — to push
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stand — to bear
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — to get on
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — in geometry

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