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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.

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: chest · spring · press · capital · mark · dip · ruler · fan

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — money
  6. chest — a box
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. capital — a city
  13. spring — of water
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spring — a coil
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spring — the season
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — a sauce

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