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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 · wake · fork · lean · cap · stand · charge · leaves

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cap — a lid
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to bend
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cap — a hat

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