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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: fall · object · dip · capital · fine · arm

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fall — the season
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. capital — a city
  9. fine — high quality
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. capital — money
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a big letter

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