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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: kid · wave · snap · nail · deal · toast · arm · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kid — to tease
  3. toast — bread
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. snap — to click
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kid — child
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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