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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: suit · wind · rock · face · press · capital · march · bay

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — a publisher
  14. suit — in cards
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — a city
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wind — to turn a key

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