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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: tear · calf · capital · press · mark · jam · current · lie

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mark — a grade
  6. capital — a city
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. current — electric
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — of water
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. current — happening now
  24. capital — money

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