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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: fall · suit · pit · press · hand · fork · rush · net

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pit — in a race
  5. net — in sport
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fall — the season
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — for catching
  16. hand — help
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — 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