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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: fall · content · press · board · craft · lean · nail · rash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. craft — a skill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — a committee
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. press — to push
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — the amount
  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