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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 116 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: leaves · lie · drill · cold · press · mug · board · hide

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — army training
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a committee
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cold — not warm
  24. press — a publisher

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