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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. tear — from crying
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — of water
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a city
  18. press — a publisher
  19. capital — money
  20. present — a gift
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — there
  24. bank — of a river

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