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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · season · nail · snap · suit · cold · dip · rash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to click
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — in cards
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to sink
  18. capital — money
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rash — hasty
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cold — not warm

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