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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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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: press · deal · ruler · spell · hand · present · mate · pound

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. press — newspapers
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spell — letters
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — there
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. pound — a weight
  21. hand — help
  22. present — the time now
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spell — a short time

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