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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: stand · suit · wake · tear · pass · press · fork · hand

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — help
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — to rip
  12. suit — to fit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — to bear
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tear — from crying

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