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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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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: fall · rule · roll · present · press · can · cell · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — government
  5. present — a gift
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — the season
  8. roll — a list
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. press — to push
  12. present — there
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a city
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — the time now
  23. press — a publisher
  24. roll — a cake

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