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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — to push
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — newspapers
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — army training
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — a phone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fall — the season
  21. plane — a tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. press — a publisher

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