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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — the season
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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