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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 116 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: press · ball · leaves · cabinet · board · stock · shower · wave

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. press — a publisher
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stock — goods
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. press — to push
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. press — newspapers

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