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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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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: deal · arm · toast · snap · temple · wake · straw · bay

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — bread
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — to handle
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to click
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wake — a trail
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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