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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · capital · net · present · straw · dip · drill · spell

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. present — the time now
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. drill — army training
  7. capital — money
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. spell — letters
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — after costs
  23. present — there
  24. net — in sport

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