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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: bank · perch · clip · chest · wake · calf · press · squash

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. clip — a video
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chest — a box
  20. press — a publisher
  21. squash — to crush
  22. perch — the fish
  23. clip — to cut
  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