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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: snap · ground · arm · press · object · spell · pound · hide

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. object — to protest
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — a thing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. object — an aim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — to push
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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