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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
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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: roll · degree · hide · rush · last · fine · date · press

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. last — finally
  3. press — to push
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — all right
  11. degree — an amount
  12. last — final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rush — hurry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — to go on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. roll — on a roll

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