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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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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — steady
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — a stick
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. toast — bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. press — newspapers
  13. scale — in music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. staff — employees
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. firm — decided

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