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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: object · cue · rush · press · chest · suit · last · fine

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fine — all right
  4. press — newspapers
  5. object — to protest
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cue — a hint
  9. last — final
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cue — for pool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — finally
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — clothes
  20. object — an aim
  21. press — to push
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — to go on

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