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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: arm · wake · press · capital · suit · bore · ruler · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. press — a publisher
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — a country
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — to drill
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. capital — money
  19. land — ground
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — to come down

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