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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 120 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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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: firm · stick · spring · press · chair · bank

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. press — to push
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — decided
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — of water
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spring — a coil
  13. firm — a company
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — steady
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on

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