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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
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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: stand · clip · sharp · rest · face · hide · mark · lie

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lie — to recline
  5. face — to confront
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — a video
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stand — on your feet

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