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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: mug · fan · bear · hand · deal · nail · bat · jam

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hand — help
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — to handle
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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