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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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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 · rush · swing · clip · band · root · bay · dip

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — a video
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — to cut
  15. band — a ring
  16. press — to push
  17. root — of a word
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. clip — for paper
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rush — to hurry

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