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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 124 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: lie · press · hide · tube · season · suit · cap · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — of the year
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — in sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — the underground
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lie — to recline

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