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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. press — to push
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — of a river
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — a city

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