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

Word bank: deal · nail · snap · swing · rest · drill

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. drill — army training
  5. rest — what's left
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to click
  10. rest — a break
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — the tool

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