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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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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: fall · stick · capital · rule · dip · press · pass · bulb

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — newspapers
  15. capital — a city
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — to push
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rule — government
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fall — to drop

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