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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 · saw · deal · bore · root · face · sharp · pop

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. press — to push
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pop — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — to point toward
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pop — soda
  24. bore — to drill

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