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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. spring — a coil
  3. snap — to click
  4. ground — crushed
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — thin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — to bend
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spring — the season
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. ground — a position
  24. lie — an untruth

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