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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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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: press · rest · bowl · stick · swing · straw

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. press — to push
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — to play on
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rest — what's left

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