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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: hand · face · lean · snap · plane · deal · bank · nail

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. face — to confront
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — thin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to click
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. plane — a tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — to bend
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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