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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 116 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: content · row · safe · key · bank · snap · press · squash

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to click
  7. press — a publisher
  8. content — happy
  9. row — to paddle
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — the amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. row — a line
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. press — to push
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — newspapers

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