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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
468
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: bank · hand · squash · fine · press · foot · cold · rock

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rock — music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. press — to push
  20. fine — all right
  21. cold — an illness
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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