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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: cap · fall · arm · rest · fan · coach · net · drill

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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