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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: nail · season · hand · rock · fan · mate · suit · press

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. press — to push
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — a partner
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rock — to move gently

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