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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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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: deal · bat · wave · swing · present · mate · bulb · hide

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. swing — music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — a gift
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. deal — to handle
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — there
  24. mate — a friend

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