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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: rock · hand · deal · ruler · snap · present · bowl · face

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — to handle
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to confront
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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