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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: wind · wound · press · pass · suit · mug · fine · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. mug — a face
  7. firm — decided
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — steady
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — newspapers

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