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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: tear · wave · cue · nail · deal · bulb · sharp · leaves

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cue — for pool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — to handle
  24. nail — for a hammer

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