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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: fall · press · stock · patient · straw · staff · wave · suit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — the season
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. press — newspapers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. suit — clothes

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