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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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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — a publisher
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — a list
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. roll — a cake
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — in sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — newspapers
  24. swing — music

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