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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: press · wind · board · season · shower · bear · saw · march

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wind — moving air
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — the month
  11. board — to get on
  12. season — of the year
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. shower — to wash
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. press — to push

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