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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 · season · stand · mate · vault · rush · suit · squash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stand — to bear
  5. press — to push
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — to breed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. press — newspapers
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. suit — clothes
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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