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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: straw · squash · press · mine · coach · net · dip · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — to crush
  12. press — to push
  13. net — in sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mine — for digging
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. net — for catching

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