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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: fall · lean · press · hand · season · pass · suit · current

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — help
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — in sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — a publisher
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — part of the body

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