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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — in cards
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — to push
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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