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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.

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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: firm · press · chest · rush · pound · cabinet · perch · stick

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — decided
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chest — a box
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — a weight
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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