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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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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: rule · press · hide · snap · wave · nail

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rule — government
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. press — newspapers
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rule — a law
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. snap — to click

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