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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — certain
  10. capital — a city
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. press — to push
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. capital — money
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. press — a publisher
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. calf — a young animal

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