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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: pitcher · squash · hide · bank · straw · press · bowl · temple

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — to push
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — of a river
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — side of the head

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