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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: board · cue · press · face · rock · stand · rest · wake

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. face — to confront
  21. press — to push
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wake — before a funeral

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