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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: present · dip · rash · snap · bear · capital

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. 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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — a gift
  10. capital — money
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rash — hasty
  13. capital — a city
  14. present — there
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. 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