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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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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: press · fall · wound · mark · cap · arm · capital · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — to push
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cap — a lid
  7. press — newspapers
  8. capital — a city
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — a publisher
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fall — the season
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a grade

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