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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 116 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: mine · sharp · wave · season · bulb · deal · firm · leaves

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mine — for digging
  6. firm — steady
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. deal — to handle

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