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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: straw · fine · fall · press · temple · squash · bank · pitcher

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — a publisher
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — the sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fine — high quality
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — a jug

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