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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: wake · kid · rock · pop · bore · spell · hand · press

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hand — help
  6. spell — letters
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pop — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spell — magic
  18. kid — to tease
  19. press — to push
  20. kid — child
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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