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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 · tube · mug · prune · jam · hide · swing · mouse

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. press — to push
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a face
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. press — a publisher
  21. swing — in golf
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. swing — music
  24. press — newspapers

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