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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. race — a contest
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. race — humankind
  7. present — there
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. press — to push
  14. present — the time now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. row — to paddle
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — the arms race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. board — a committee
  23. spring — the season
  24. present — a gift

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