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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
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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: date · cap · spring · hide · drill · suit · rush · land

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rush — hurry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — a country
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — ground
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. drill — the tool

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