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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. present — the time now
  3. drill — army training
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. face — to confront
  7. land — to come down
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. object — to protest
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — an aim
  12. press — a publisher
  13. present — there
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. object — a thing
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. land — ground
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — a gift

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