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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
468
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: dip · tube · rash · press · kick · bank · stand · degree

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — a container
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kick — in football
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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