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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: snap · deal · perch · saw · spell · net · patient · toast

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. net — in sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — magic
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — bread
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — letters
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. net — for catching

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