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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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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: capital · press · fine · chest · nail · rush · land · mug

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — all right
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mug — a face
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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