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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: snap · deal · present · lean · ball · face · branch · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — thin
  4. present — a gift
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — the time now
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lean — to bend
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — to handle
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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