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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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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: object · swing · fall · hide · row · capital · arm · jam

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. capital — money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a city
  17. object — a thing
  18. row — a line
  19. object — an aim
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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