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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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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: ruler · fall · board · press · bark · pass · temple · mark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bark — to shout
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — to get on
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — to pay attention

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