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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
468
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: press · bay · last · board · dip · arm · net · staff

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. last — finally
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — final
  10. press — a publisher
  11. staff — employees
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. press — newspapers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. net — in sport
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — a committee
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. board — to get 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