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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: bulb · press · saw · bound · hide · mark · pound · spell

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spell — letters
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — magic
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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