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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ground — crushed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a match
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ground — a position
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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