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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — soda
  5. squash — the sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — music

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