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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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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: file · stand · cap · straw · pound · bank · press · safe

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cap — a lid
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cap — of ice
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — a hat
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. file — a tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — a publisher

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