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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: swing · chair · kick · press · spell · safe · straw · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chair — a leader
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — letters
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — to play on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. straw — a straw man

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