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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: bass · cabinet · pit · fall · squash · mug · lean · present

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — thin
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — the time now
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — there
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the sport

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