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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: press · present · swing · court · rest · toast · snap · board

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to click
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — to push
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — of a king
  7. present — there
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. board — a committee
  16. rest — what's left
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. court — of law
  21. board — to get on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rest — a break

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