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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. coach — a trainer

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