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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
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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: spring · kick · land · spell · board · chair · pass · press

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kick — in football
  7. spell — a short time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. spring — of water
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — letters
  20. land — ground
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — magic
  23. land — to come down
  24. chair — a professorship

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