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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — a trace
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — not warm
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — a grade

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