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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
468
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 · spring · face · hide · staff · calf · mate · ruler

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — of water
  5. face — to confront
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — to push
  9. mate — to breed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. face — to point toward
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spring — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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