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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: mine · deal · rest · spring · fan · wake · capital · suit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rest — a break
  5. suit — in cards
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. spring — the season
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — to cool the air

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