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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · fall · fine · deal · cell · press

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. press — to push
  15. cell — in biology
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fall — to drop

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