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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: press · board · current · fall · suit · hand · ruler · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. current — electric
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fall — the season
  7. hand — help
  8. board — to get on
  9. press — newspapers
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. press — to push
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. current — happening now
  17. board — a committee
  18. fall — to drop
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — a publisher
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ruler — for measuring

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