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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: season · bore · board · chest · perch · press · current · nail

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. current — of water
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. season — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — electric
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — happening now

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