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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: saw · court · date · pass · foot · deal · hide · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. date — the fruit
  7. court — of a king
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. court — of law
  16. snap — to click
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. foot — a measure
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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