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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: press · can · fork · degree · rush · rest · fall · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — in a road
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — temperature
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — the season
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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