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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — a measure

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