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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 116 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: rest · press · lash · scale · hand · capital · bore · bay

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. capital — money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hand — help
  16. capital — a city
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. scale — in music
  20. rest — a break
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — in cards
  24. press — a publisher

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