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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 116 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: lean · kid · race · row · swing · press · stand · bowl

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lean — to bend
  3. row — to paddle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — to play on
  7. row — a line
  8. kid — child
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. press — to push
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. race — the arms race
  13. swing — in golf
  14. race — humankind
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lean — thin
  23. race — a contest
  24. stand — for spectators

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