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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.

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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: capital · trunk · staff · bass · rush · press · chip · lean

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chip — to eat
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bass — low music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — employees
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — thin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — to bend

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