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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: rule · cell · nail · deal · stand · snap · perch · bank

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — a law
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rule — government
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bank — of a river
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bank — for money

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