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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 · band · suit · wake · deal · season · bear · bay

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. band — a music group
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. season — of the year
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — to handle
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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