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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: race · lie · tear · press · file · tube · board · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. race — humankind
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — to recline
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tear — to rip
  21. race — a contest
  22. press — to push
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. file — a document

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