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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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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: board · toast · wind · press · present · safe · firm · file

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. file — a line of people
  6. press — newspapers
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — a committee
  10. toast — bread
  11. present — a gift
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — there
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. press — to push
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a document
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — to get on
  24. toast — the most admired

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