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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. last — to go on
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lean — thin
  14. last — finally
  15. press — a publisher
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — electricity
  20. press — to push
  21. last — final
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. net — after costs
  24. fine — a penalty

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