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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tear — to rip
  3. press — to push
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — newspapers
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. cell — a phone
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a committee
  19. cell — in biology
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — a publisher
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — to be able to

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