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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 · tear · deal · nail · bat · jam · bulb · snap

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tear — to rip
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. snap — to click
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. tear — from crying

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