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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: suit · stick · fall · patient · staff · capital · charge · lean

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. charge — electricity
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fall — the season
  5. suit — in cards
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — to fit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a city
  21. fall — to drop
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — a price
  24. staff — a stick

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