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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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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: saw · wind · key · press · bank · chair · board · mouse

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — newspapers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. key — in music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chair — to sit 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