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

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. foot — a measure
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — boats
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — to lash out

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