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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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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: press · bank · temple · fork · lash · squash · cell · pound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. 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. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — a weight
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cell — in biology
  24. 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