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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 120 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: capital · spell · charge · stand · lie · lash · plane · race

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — electricity
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — the arms race
  11. capital — a city
  12. race — a contest
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — humankind
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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