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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · lean · press · mine · fall · rule · fine · row

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. rule — a law
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fall — the season
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fine — all right
  9. band — a ring
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lean — to bend
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a music group
  19. lean — thin
  20. row — a line
  21. press — to push
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — government
  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