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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: rest · kick · firm · chair · wave · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. firm — a company
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — decided
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — in football
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader

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