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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: capital · calf · rest · pitcher · fine · press · lie · bound

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — high quality
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — certain
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. press — a publisher
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — obliged
  16. press — to push
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — a city
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rest — a break

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