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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: deal · bear · press · spell · plane · bass · pit · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — to handle
  9. press — to push
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pit — a hole
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. plane — a tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — to put up with

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