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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 · lash · band · squash · pass · rest · content · safe

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rest — a break
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. squash — to crush
  9. band — a ring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a music group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. content — the amount

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