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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: deal · present · ball · press · fall · game · board · straw

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. present — the time now
  4. game — a match
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — a publisher
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. board — a committee
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fall — the season
  11. press — to push
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. present — a gift
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. present — there
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — wild animals

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