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

Word bank: hand · snap · deal · calf · bowl · bank · drill · toast

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hand — help
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. drill — a practice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bank — of a river
  21. drill — the tool
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. deal — a big deal

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