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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: deal · wave · saw · temple · snap · bat · dip · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bat — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. deal — to handle
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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