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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 · chest · wave · lash · chair · kick

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wave — with your hand

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