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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: lean · press · scale · squash · fan · safe · firm · swing

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — size or range
  10. press — newspapers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. press — to push
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — a publisher
  24. safe — a strongbox

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