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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: lean · fine · roll · wind · cabinet · temple · press · pitch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. roll — a list
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — thin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitch — completely
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fine — high quality
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lean — to bend

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