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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: press · cold · wound · bark · band · squash · bowl · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cold — not warm
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a music group
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. press — to push
  22. cold — an illness
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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