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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kid — child
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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