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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: mate · season · lean · suit · press · deal · key · net

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lean — thin
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a partner
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mate — to breed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — to bend
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. season — of the year

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