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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · bay · capital · press · object · staff · kick · can

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — a tin
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. capital — money
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. kick — in football
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. object — an aim
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — not warm
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cold — an illness
  22. object — to protest
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — a thing

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