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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: date · foot · jam · straw · temple · press · swing · last

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. press — to push
  2. date — the fruit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — a measure
  11. press — newspapers
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. swing — in golf
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. press — a publisher
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — final
  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