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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: stick · leaves · key · spell · capital · charge · kick · fall

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spell — a short time
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. charge — electricity
  12. capital — a city
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. charge — a price
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — in football
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — the most important part
  21. capital — money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fall — the season

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