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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: can · capital · wake · leaves · mate · wind · rule · charge

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mate — to breed
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. charge — in control
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. capital — money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — a city
  24. mate — a friend

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