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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: can · kick · face · press · swing · bay · lean · cap

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. swing — in golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lean — thin
  18. swing — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. 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