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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.

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: squash · bank · capital · hide · chest · press · bulb · chair

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. press — a publisher
  15. capital — a city
  16. chest — a box
  17. press — to push
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chair — a leader
  23. capital — money
  24. chest — of your body

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