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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.

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: press · face · stand · mug · hide · wake · clip · leaves

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. clip — a video
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — a face
  19. face — to confront
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — a trail
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mug — a cup

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