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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — hurry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — a tin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bound — obliged
  24. press — newspapers

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