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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: foot · rash · press · swing · snap · bay · plane · branch

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rash — a series
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. swing — in golf
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — a tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — to push
  22. snap — to click
  23. swing — music
  24. branch — a division

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