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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 116 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: capital · cap · bay · stem · rush · press · key · branch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — a city
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. capital — money
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — a division
  23. key — in music
  24. press — newspapers

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