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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 120 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
468
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: press · spell · safe · fall · cell · capital · dip · rush

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — letters
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — newspapers
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — hurry
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cell — in biology
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cell — a phone

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