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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 116 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: sharp · staff · bore · rash · bowl · deal · press · pop

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — a stick
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to drill
  20. press — to push
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — employees
  24. pop — to visit

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