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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 · calf · wave · prune · drill · deal · hide · hand

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hand — help
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. drill — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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