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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 · wave · deal · dip · capital · nail · rule · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. capital — a city
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. capital — money
  8. deal — to handle
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  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