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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 · bank · ball · snap · face · key · fall · bear

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — to confront
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. face — to point toward

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