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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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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: clip · fine · snap · deal · staff · lean · temple · hand

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hand — in cards
  8. staff — employees
  9. clip — for paper
  10. staff — a stick
  11. snap — to click
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lean — thin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. temple — side of the head

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