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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 120 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: lean · swing · sharp · patient · plane · firm · lash · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. swing — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — a tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — in golf
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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