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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 · swing · toast · pop · patient · straw

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. swing — in golf
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — soda
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — to push

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