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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 116 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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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 · wound · staff · chair · leaves · kick · vault · stand

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a city
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — in football
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a professorship

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