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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — a division
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lean — thin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — humankind
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. press — newspapers

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