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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: temple · press · wind · roll · race · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — a publisher
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wind — moving air
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — to push
  14. roll — a list
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. race — a contest

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