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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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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: pass · file · foot · shower · sharp · squash · roll · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. roll — a cake
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. sharp — clever
  5. file — a line of people
  6. press — newspapers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. press — a publisher
  9. squash — to crush
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. roll — a list
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

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