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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 · bat · wave · swing · present · mate

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — there
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. present — a gift
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mate — to breed
  15. present — the time now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music

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