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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 120 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 · rest · deal · fan · hide · staff

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. deal — to handle

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