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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 · hand · jam · hide · press · mug · squash · lean

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — to push
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — thin
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — a publisher
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — the sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — to rob
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — part of the body

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