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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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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 · board · wind · drill · stick · press

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cell — in biology
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. board — a committee
  9. press — a publisher
  10. drill — army training
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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