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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 120 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
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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: board · rash · press · dip · mate · rush · staff · shower

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — to breed
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a partner
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — a series
  12. rush — hurry
  13. shower — to wash
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. staff — employees

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