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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: plane · present · content · lean · capital · charge · leaves · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — a gift
  3. capital — a city
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. charge — in control
  10. lean — thin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. present — there
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. present — the time now
  19. capital — money
  20. content — happy
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — a stick
  23. plane — a tool
  24. content — the amount

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