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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 120 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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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: cap · press · capital · perch · straw · arm · ruler · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — money
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — of ice
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. capital — a city
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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