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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.

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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: present · clip · arm · temple · lean · staff · lie · hide

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — a gift
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. lie — to recline
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — the time now
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lie — an untruth

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