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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 120 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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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: straw · bulb · fine · wind · wave · deal · mate · can

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — high quality
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — a partner
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fine — a penalty
  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