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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
468
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: cabinet · rule · press · tube · coach · court · lean · fall

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. court — of law
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lean — to bend
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. court — of a king
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — a trainer

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