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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bat — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. row — a line
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. board — to get on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. board — a committee

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