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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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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: nail · plane · deal · ruler · bass · sharp · press · wound

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. plane — a tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. wound — an injury

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