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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: lean · spring · press · row · board · chip · mouse · saw

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. press — a publisher
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — for betting
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a line
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chip — to eat
  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