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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: bulb · fall · charge · row · capital · squash · lie · safe

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. row — to paddle
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — a price
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — money
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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