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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 120 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: cap · rush · lie · pitch · capital · charge · wake · wind

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. charge — a price
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cap — of ice
  18. charge — electricity
  19. capital — a city
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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