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

Word bank: wind · pass · press · board · swing · cell

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. swing — to play on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. swing — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee

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