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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: snap · bear · pitcher · wave · capital · spring · rest · bowl

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to click
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. spring — the season
  14. capital — a city
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spring — a coil
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — to put up with

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