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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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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: row · tear · ruler · fork · swing · mug · press · kick

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — in a road
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mug — a cup
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tear — to rip
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — to paddle
  19. press — to push
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — for measuring

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