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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: bat · pass · nail · fall · snap · deal · sharp · ground

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to click
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ground — crushed
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fall — to drop
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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