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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: mine · board · lie · file · press · shower · stick · calf

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — to wash
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. shower — rain
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — to push
  9. board — a committee
  10. file — a tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. file — a document
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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