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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — there
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — to eat
  7. press — to push
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chest — a box
  12. press — newspapers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. present — a gift
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — for betting
  24. present — the time now

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