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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 120 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 · foot · pass · hide · vault · lie · spring · fan

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — of water
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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