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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: chair · charge · lie · stand · deal · capital

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. deal — to handle
  4. charge — in control
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. chair — a leader
  9. charge — electricity
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. capital — money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — a price
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators

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