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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 116 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: board · kick · straw · press · object · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — a publisher
  3. board — a committee
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. object — to protest
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. kick — in football
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. craft — a skill
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. object — a thing
  18. press — newspapers

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