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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 120 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: can · pass · patient · chair · stock · hand · press · fall

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. press — to push
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hand — in cards
  11. press — newspapers
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hand — help
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — goods
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. press — a publisher
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — shares

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