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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
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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: mouse · shower · pitcher · press · foot · squash · rush · branch

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — rain
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. foot — a measure
  7. press — to push
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — the sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. shower — to wash

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