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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bank — for money
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — from a university
  10. scale — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. scale — size or range
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — to hurry

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