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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 · bank · nail · stick · drill · hand · bear

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hand — help
  24. drill — a practice

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