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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: toast · wake · arm · present · capital · mug · hide · press

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. capital — money
  21. press — to push
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a city

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