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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: fork · object · press · rush · stick · stand · bound · rash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — certain
  4. press — to push
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — to protest
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. press — newspapers
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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