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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · craft · leaves · bear · charge · capital

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. capital — a city
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away

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