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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 120 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: arm · lie · press · fine · bass · straw · cabinet · fan

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bass — low music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — all right
  12. bass — the fish
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. press — to push
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — a supporter

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