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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 120 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 · rush · spring · fall · lean · board · mouse · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — a committee
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lean — to bend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mouse — for a computer

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