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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · wake · press · board · object · bear

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. object — a thing
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. object — an aim
  10. board — to get on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. object — to protest

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