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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fall — the season
  12. rule — government
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rule — a law
  16. suit — in cards
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. temple — side of the head

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