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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 120 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: bank · perch · stem · cabinet · clip · squash · mouse · press

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — of a river
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — a publisher
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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