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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: arm · land · cap · net · dip · kick · fall · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. object — a thing
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. kick — in football
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — for catching
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — to protest
  24. fall — the season

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