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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · rash · lie · board · hide · pit · press · chair

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chair — a leader
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. board — to get on
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — of water
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — to recline
  17. press — to push
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — happening now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a committee
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — on the skin

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