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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 116 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: mate · press · bank · wake · ruler · squash

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bank — for money
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — to crush

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