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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 · bear · deal · suit · face · rock · drill · tear

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. drill — army training
  4. suit — clothes
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. drill — a practice
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — to point toward
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rock — a stone

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