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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: fan · chest · lean · board · pit · wave · arm · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — to push
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a committee
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chest — a box
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lean — thin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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