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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · kick · stock · pitcher · lean · cabinet · chair · hide

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stock — shares
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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