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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: swing · press · tube · lean · land · foot · ruler · field

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — for sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tube — the underground
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. land — ground
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to bend
  24. field — farmland

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