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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: cabinet · press · game · squash · board · bay · lie · spell

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — to recline
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. press — to push
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — a kind of play

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