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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.

Words on the sheet
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: straw · capital · press · rule · ball · firm · bear · spring

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rule — government
  8. spring — of water
  9. press — newspapers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. capital — money
  12. firm — a company
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — decided
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spring — the season
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — to push
  24. ball — a dance

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