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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 116 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: game · key · rush · patient · press · wake · staff · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rush — hurry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — newspapers
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — to push
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — in music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. suit — in cards

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