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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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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: press · cue · prune · fine · content · sharp · fall · rush

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. press — to push
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fall — the season
  5. cue — a signal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — all right
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — newspapers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. content — happy
  17. cue — a hint
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — the amount
  24. press — a publisher

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