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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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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: perch · snap · hand · saw · can · jam · deal · toast

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to click
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — the fish
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — help
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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