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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
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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: fine · straw · leaves · press · fall · rock · band · firm

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. firm — decided
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. band — a ring
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. press — to push
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a music group
  14. firm — steady
  15. fine — high quality
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. press — newspapers
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — a publisher
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — to move gently

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