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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: bound · root · lie · jam · capital · saw · press · band

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. root — of a word
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a ring
  8. bound — obliged
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. root — the cause
  14. band — a music group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — to push
  17. capital — a city
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a rubber band

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