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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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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: fine · press · bay · bat · pound · wound · foot · snap

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. press — to push
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. press — a publisher
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wound — an injury
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fine — all right
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bat — the animal
  21. snap — to click
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. foot — part of the body

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