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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: hand · bat · bear · pass · roll · stick · snap · season

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — help
  19. snap — to click
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. season — of the year

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