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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: rash · press · chest · saw · roll · track · foot · board

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chest — a box
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. roll — a list
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — to push
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. roll — a cake
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — a publisher
  22. track — a song
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. saw — the tool

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