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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · wind · lean · toast · swing · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. toast — bread
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — music
  12. press — to push
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air

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