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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · land · mate · vault · hand · deal · season · rash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — of the year
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rash — a series
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. vault — a safe
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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