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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 · stick · coach · board · can · fine · capital · hand

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fall — the season
  9. board — to get on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. board — a committee
  12. hand — in cards
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — high quality
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. fine — all right
  21. capital — a city
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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