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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: dip · degree · rest · cabinet · rush · land · board · press

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rush — hurry
  3. land — to come down
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — to get on
  8. land — a country
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — to push
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — a break
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — what's left

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