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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — to get on
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. board — a committee
  24. wind — to turn a key

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