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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: deal · scale · bulb · tear · swing · wave

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — size or range
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — in music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tear — from crying

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