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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · mark · season · arm · press · kick · mine · band

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — a committee
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. press — to push
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. board — to get on
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. band — a ring
  15. kick — in football
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. season — in sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a flat piece

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