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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. land — to come down
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. press — a publisher
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — a country
  8. shower — rain
  9. press — to push
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. board — to get on
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. land — ground
  16. press — newspapers
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  24. leaves — lets stay

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