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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 · leaves · rash · hand · lie · nail · fan · deal

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. last — final
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — to go on
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lie — to recline
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. last — finally

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