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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · press · board · fall · present · chest · mug · perch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. present — a gift
  12. press — a publisher
  13. present — there
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — after costs
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — to push
  19. fall — the season
  20. chest — a box
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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