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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. press — to push
  11. suit — to fit
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — a city
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — to bend
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — to come down
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — thin

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