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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: file · hand · hide · degree · lie · press · chair · fan

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. file — a document
  11. degree — from a university
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — to push
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a 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