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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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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: bat · present · swing · press · bore · fork · hand · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hand — in cards
  3. press — newspapers
  4. swing — music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. present — there
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. present — a gift
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fork — to eat with

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