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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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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — a thing
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — an aim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — the season

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