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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.

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: degree · stick · cell · swing · rash · capital · rush · press

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. swing — music
  6. capital — money
  7. press — a publisher
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — a city
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in biology
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rash — a series
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. press — to push

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