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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.

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: cell · cue · board · root · spell · lie · press · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — magic
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — a publisher
  13. root — of a plant
  14. land — a country
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spell — letters
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. root — the cause
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a word
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — for pool

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