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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · suit · season · kick · mine · wave · stock · fall

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kick — in football
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. season — of the year
  20. fall — the season
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fall — to drop

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