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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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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: capital · fall · suit · rock · lash · land · club · press

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. capital — money
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. capital — a city
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. club — for golf
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. land — to come down
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. club — a group
  18. land — a country
  19. club — for dancing
  20. press — to push
  21. suit — in cards
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rock — to move gently

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