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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: cell · mouse · chair · board · march · shower · last · press

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. last — finally
  8. chair — a leader
  9. last — final
  10. board — a committee
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. march — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — the month
  20. press — to push
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. last — to go 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