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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.

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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: press · bear · saw · lie · present · pop · season · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. pop — music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. present — the time now
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. present — there
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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