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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.

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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: degree · fall · leaves · press · row · arm · mark · fine

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. degree — from a university
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — to push
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. press — a publisher
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. degree — an amount
  17. row — a line
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — high quality
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — a part of something

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