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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 · mouse · plane · cell · stick · net · mug · press

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. swing — in golf
  3. net — in sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. press — to push
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mug — a face
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — newspapers
  21. net — after costs
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cell — in biology

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