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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. craft — boats
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — to get on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bank — for money
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ground — a position
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bank — of a river
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. season — in sport

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