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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: object · dip · press · stem · board · deal · fan · bat

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. board — to get on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. press — a publisher
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. object — a thing
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. deal — a big deal

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