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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: mark · mug · bat · press · cap · straw · rush · bank

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. press — to push
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mug — a face
  21. rush — hurry
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — a straw man

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