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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: face · hide · stand · press · lash · firm · rush · content

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. firm — a company
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — to confront
  12. content — the amount
  13. press — newspapers
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. firm — steady
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — to push
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. firm — decided
  23. rush — to hurry
  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