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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: pop · straw · board · toast · press · race · plane · charge

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — electricity
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. plane — a tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. race — humankind
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. press — to push
  20. pop — soda
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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