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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · press · rash · vault · capital · calf

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. capital — a city
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — money
  5. press — to push
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rash — a series
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — a publisher

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