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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: snap · deal · bank · chair · tear · hand · ball · bowl

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — to rip
  15. snap — to click
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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