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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: last · nail · deal · fall · snap · ball · ground · file

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. file — a document
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fall — the season
  7. file — a tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — the earth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — a position
  15. last — final
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ball — a dance
  19. snap — to click
  20. last — finally
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — crushed

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