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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: hand · wake · hide · court · deal · bear · snap · mark

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — to handle
  18. court — of law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — part of the body

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