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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: sharp · fine · rush · tube · press · fork · shower · present

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fork — in a road
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. press — a publisher
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. shower — rain
  15. present — there
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tube — a container

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