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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: land · rock · wound · charge · press · chest · lie · board

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — a publisher
  8. board — a committee
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — to get on
  19. rock — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — ground

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