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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mug — a face
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mug — a cup
  18. court — of a king
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lean — thin
  24. pass — a permit

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