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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 · patient · rash · club · foot · press · lie · rush

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. swing — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — to play on
  7. club — for golf
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rash — a series
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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