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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: deal · bulb · stand · lean · pop · hand · wave · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hand — help
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — a big deal

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