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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
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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: clip · charge · saw · press · nail · hide · pound · pass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. clip — to cut
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — a weight
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — for paper
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — a video
  24. charge — a price

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