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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
468
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: stem · swing · charge · capital · fall · mark · sharp · dip

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — to play on
  8. charge — electricity
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mark — a trace
  12. capital — a city
  13. fall — the season
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. swing — in golf
  18. charge — in control
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — a price
  23. swing — music
  24. dip — to sink

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