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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · key · mine · leaves · hand · club · mark · bat

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to click
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hand — help
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. club — for golf
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. club — a group
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. key — in music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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