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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. press — to push
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — a publisher
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — a leader
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — to rule out

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