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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: straw · press · swing · plane · craft · lean · rush · fork

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. lean — to bend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — in a road
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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