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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 124 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: swing · rush · fan · ruler · press · content · spell · leaves

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spell — letters
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spell — a short time
  6. content — happy
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. swing — in golf
  12. press — to push
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. press — newspapers
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spell — magic

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