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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: cold · foot · season · row · rush · press · bank · tube

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. press — to push
  3. row — a line
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — a container
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — a measure
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. season — in 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