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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: toast · current · fall · row · deal · key · snap · band

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. band — a ring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. key — for a lock
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — the most important part
  15. current — electric
  16. fall — to drop
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — the season
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. key — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. snap — to click
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. toast — bread

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