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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: fork · board · wax · hand · snap · deal · drill · land

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — help
  4. fork — in a road
  5. drill — army training
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. land — ground
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to click
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. land — to come down

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