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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: season · fall · capital · charge · jam · bulb · stand · wind

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fall — the season
  12. stand — to bear
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — of the year
  16. wind — moving air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. capital — a city
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. capital — money
  24. stand — on your feet

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