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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: leaves · scale · fall · snap · lean · rash · capital · craft

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — a series
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — thin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. capital — money
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — in music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. craft — boats
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. capital — a big letter

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