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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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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: chair · file · craft · ball · wave · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. craft — boats
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. file — a line of people
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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