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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — in golf
  3. can — to be able to
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kid — child
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hide — to keep secret

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