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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · firm · suit · cap · file · swing

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. suit — clothes
  3. press — a publisher
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. file — a document
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. file — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. firm — a company
  15. press — newspapers
  16. file — a line of people
  17. firm — decided
  18. cap — a hat

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