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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 116 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 · capital · dip · key · row · bore · cabinet · swing

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — to tire
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. capital — a city
  8. row — a line
  9. swing — music
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — to play on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. row — to paddle
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. key — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — to sink

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