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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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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: mark · can · wave · spring · chest · press · swing · pit

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — newspapers
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. press — to push
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — music
  24. press — a publisher

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