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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: nail · cabinet · rush · last · cue · press · bowl · lean

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. cue — a signal
  11. last — finally
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lean — thin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. last — final

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