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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: pound · hide · press · snap · coach · ruler · date · shower

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to click
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — to push
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — for measuring

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