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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: pop · wake · spell · bore · fine · saw · sharp · press

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. press — to push
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — clever
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — music

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