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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.

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: dip · spell · mug · prune · band · swing · kick · press

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. swing — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. swing — in golf
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. kick — in football
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spell — a short time
  22. press — to push
  23. mug — a face
  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