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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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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: roll · pound · press · squash · can · hide · spring · rush

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — newspapers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. press — a publisher
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. roll — a list
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — of water
  24. press — to push

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