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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.

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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: key · craft · band · press · cell · fall · board · perch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. press — newspapers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — a publisher
  9. key — the most important part
  10. craft — a skill
  11. key — in music
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — the season
  14. cell — a phone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cell — in biology
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. perch — the fish

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