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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · press · spell · capital · rest · rush

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. spell — magic
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. capital — a city
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — letters
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. capital — money
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — hurry
  17. press — to push
  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