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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: leaves · foot · fan · charge · saw · mug · capital · fall

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. charge — a price
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — in control
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — a face
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — the season
  20. capital — a city
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mug — a cup
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — electricity

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