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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 · firm · fall · roll · lean · swing · board · arm

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — steady
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. roll — a cake
  6. board — to get on
  7. fall — the season
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. firm — decided
  14. lean — thin
  15. roll — a list
  16. swing — in golf
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lean — to bend
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. firm — a company
  23. swing — music
  24. board — a committee

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