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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. press — to push
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wind — moving air
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chest — a box
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bank — for money

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