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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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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: fine · rash · wind · mate · press · board · cell · bore

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a committee
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — to breed
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. press — to push
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rash — a series
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mate — a friend

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