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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. band — a music group
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — a committee
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — to get on
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — for catching
  17. press — a publisher
  18. net — in sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. band — a ring
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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