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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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468
Word bank
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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cold — not warm
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. swing — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. staff — a stick
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — employees
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. swing — to play on
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a flat piece

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