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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: kid · suit · press · bay · hand · swing · temple · firm

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. firm — a company
  3. press — a publisher
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — in cards
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. swing — music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. firm — decided
  14. press — to push
  15. kid — child
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kid — to tease
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — help
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. swing — in golf

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