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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · band · key · trunk · snap · deal · plane

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — for a lock
  3. band — a ring
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to click
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. date — the fruit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. plane — a tool

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