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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · face · trunk · squash · saw · present · press · rash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — to push
  7. face — to point toward
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. swing — in golf
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — to play on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — there
  24. face — to confront

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