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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. march — the month
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — to recline
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. capital — money
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — the tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. march — the month

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