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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: board · press · saw · lie · bulb · pit · season · last

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — to push
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. last — final
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. last — to go on
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. season — in sport
  22. last — finally
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. board — to get on

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