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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: bore · lie · leaves · capital · press · season · rest · firm

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. capital — money
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — to recline
  9. season — in sport
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. capital — a city
  24. rest — a break

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