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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: spell · press · current · board · mate · file · lie · lean

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. mate — to breed
  4. current — happening now
  5. file — a document
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — electric
  11. file — a line of people
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — to push
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — to recline

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