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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: press · hand · season · plane · deal · kid · cue · suit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — child
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. suit — in cards
  15. season — of the year
  16. hand — help
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — newspapers
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. plane — an aircraft

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