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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — thin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to bend
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fall — the season
  10. degree — an amount
  11. march — the month
  12. press — newspapers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. firm — a company
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. march — music
  18. firm — steady
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fine — all right
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to rest against
  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