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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: straw · chip · jam · stick · face · press · bass · swing

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. swing — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. swing — in golf
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — to play on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — a publisher
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — the instrument

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