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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: leaves · fall · can · bore · capital · file · current · spell

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. capital — a city
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — electric
  9. capital — money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. file — a tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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