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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · press · dip · bank · tear · mug

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. 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. bank — for money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mug — to rob
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — newspapers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mug — a face
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — of a river
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — to push
  18. 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