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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · club · land · hand · snap · mug · lie · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. club — a group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lie — to recline
  14. club — for golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. land — a country
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mug — to rob

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