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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.

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 · rush · fork · patient · racket · game · press · lash

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. swing — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. swing — in golf
  7. press — newspapers
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. swing — to play on

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