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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: stand · press · last · swing · tube · rush · degree · wound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — final
  4. press — to push
  5. degree — temperature
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tube — a container
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — from a university
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — hurry
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. swing — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — to hurry

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