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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.

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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 · safe · fork · coach · lash · cap · squash

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — to push
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a lid
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cap — a hat
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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