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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 116 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: bass · fine · hand · deal · snap · present · cell · swing

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fine — all right
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bass — low music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — the time now
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — there
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — the fish

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