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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 116 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: charge · rule · lie · firm · wake · rock · cue · capital

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — government
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rule — a law
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — decided
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — a company
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — steady
  24. capital — a city

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