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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: roll · spring · snap · ball · shower · mine · mug · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — rain
  7. spring — of water
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spring — a coil
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a dance
  13. roll — a list
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ball — a great time
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spring — the season
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to click
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. deal — a big deal

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