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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: leaves · game · saw · fan · clip · band · press · hide

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. clip — a video
  6. game — wild animals
  7. band — a music group
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. press — to push
  12. band — a ring
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. clip — for paper
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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