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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: scale · mug · straw · pit · lie · swing · press · clip

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. swing — to play on
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pit — a hole
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — size or range
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — a video
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — a face
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pit — in a race
  22. scale — in music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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