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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: hand · season · staff · spell · wave · straw · bulb · toast

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — help
  4. bulb — for light
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. staff — employees
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. season — in sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — of the year
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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