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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: wind · racket · stand · press · bore · board · cold · march

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. press — to push
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cold — not warm
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — a committee
  24. wind — moving air

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