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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: bulb · mark · squash · bank · nail · press · last · fine

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. last — to go on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — to push
  11. last — final
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. last — finally
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. press — newspapers
  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