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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
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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: can · straw · field · press · sharp · kick · perch · swing

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. field — for sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. swing — to play on
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. press — newspapers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. press — to push
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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