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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: saw · fall · date · snap · rest · rush · object · capital

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. date — the fruit
  4. capital — a city
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. object — to protest
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. capital — money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to click
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — a break
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fall — the season
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — an aim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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