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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bank — of a river
  9. press — a publisher
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — for money
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — to come from
  15. capital — money
  16. firm — a company
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bass — the fish

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