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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: suit · stick · press · spring · swing · wind · bass · plane

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — moving air
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — of water
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — to play on
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spring — the season
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — to turn a key

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