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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. press — newspapers
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fine — all right
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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