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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: rash · stick · suit · face · hand · game · press · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. press — a publisher
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — a series
  15. hand — help
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — to push
  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