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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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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lean — to bend
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. file — a tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. file — a document
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. press — to push
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. capital — money
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — music
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. march — the month

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