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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.

Words on the sheet
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: clip · hide · racket · tube · saw · bass · press · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tube — a container
  12. clip — to cut
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — a publisher
  22. clip — a video
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the instrument

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