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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: dip · pound · net · snap · face · hand · prune · hide

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pound — a weight
  7. net — after costs
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — in sport
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. hand — in cards
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to point toward

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