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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: land · press · swing · rush · suit · cold · fall · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — to push
  8. land — a country
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — to come down
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — newspapers
  22. swing — music
  23. rush — hurry
  24. land — ground

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