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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — to push
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. drill — army training
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. board — a committee
  19. wind — moving air
  20. degree — temperature
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bat — the animal

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