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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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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: cabinet · row · fall · drill · trunk · press · face · deal

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — army training
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. row — a line
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — the tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — part of the head
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — to point toward
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — the season
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — to push
  24. 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