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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 · rest · spell · sharp · capital · bank · mate · press

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. spell — magic
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — a break
  7. spell — letters
  8. press — to push
  9. capital — money
  10. mate — to breed
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — a partner
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — a city
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — a short time
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — a lid

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