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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: stand · press · hide · file · calf · clip · saw · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stand — to bear
  7. clip — to cut
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — newspapers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. file — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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