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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: press · bound · wave · cabinet · scale · lean · vault · fall

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — to push
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fall — the season
  11. bound — certain
  12. press — a publisher
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — thin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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