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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 120 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: row · press · cabinet · degree · bulb · face · safe · mouse

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. face — part of the head
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — a publisher
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — an amount
  12. press — to push
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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