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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: wave · nail · snap · saw · dip · stand · drill · capital

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — army training
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. capital — a city
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — for a hammer

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