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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 116 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: rush · press · deal · rock · wake · pitcher · saw · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — a publisher
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. press — newspapers
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — the season
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rush — hurry
  24. press — to push

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