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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: bat · bear · bank · press · snap · deal

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. press — to push
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — for baseball

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