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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: wind · press · swing · lie · safe · kick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — in football
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. swing — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lie — to recline
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher

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