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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: snap · swing · bay · chip · press · band · rest · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — in golf
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — to eat
  8. band — a music group
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — music
  11. press — to push
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. snap — to click
  22. band — a ring
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chip — for betting

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