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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: rush · capital · bore · suit · club · press · arm · cell

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — to fit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cell — in biology
  8. club — for dancing
  9. press — to push
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — in cards
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — for golf
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. club — a group
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — clothes

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