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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: bear · stand · kid · bank · press · squash

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — to tease
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kid — child
  12. squash — the sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with

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