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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: lean · temple · shower · capital · present · suit · can · charge

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — in cards
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — money
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. can — to be able to
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — there
  9. shower — rain
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — thin
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — in control
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lean — to bend

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