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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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468
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: bulb · hide · can · pound · press · wound · wind · mine

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — for digging
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — to push
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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