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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: mug · press · cell · dip · leaves · present · capital · jam

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. press — newspapers
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. capital — a city
  7. mug — to rob
  8. press — to push
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mug — a face
  14. dip — to sink
  15. capital — money
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cell — a phone
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mug — a cup
  22. present — there
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cell — in biology

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