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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.

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: squash · stick · degree · bowl · can · file · press · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. press — to push
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — a publisher
  6. file — a line of people
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. press — newspapers
  14. squash — to crush
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. degree — temperature
  18. squash — the sport
  19. file — a tool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — the vegetable

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