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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.

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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: present · hide · mug · capital · press · firm · vault · lie

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. firm — steady
  3. press — a publisher
  4. present — the time now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — there
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — decided
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. present — a gift
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mug — a face
  22. press — to push
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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