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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: press · saw · prune · hide · mate · pound · shower · toast

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pound — a weight
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — to push
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. shower — rain
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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