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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: press · deal · rest · board · coach · shower · file · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. press — newspapers
  5. file — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — to push
  10. roll — a cake
  11. shower — rain
  12. file — a line of people
  13. roll — a list
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rest — a break
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — an agreement

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