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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. spring — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cell — in biology
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cell — a phone
  17. spring — the season
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spring — a coil
  20. game — a match
  21. press — to push
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — to get on

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