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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · deal · chair · fine · snap · hand · bear · staff

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — help
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chair — a leader
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. deal — to handle
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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