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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 · march · squash · press · rest · snap · stand · bank

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — music
  16. rest — a break
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — the month

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