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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: last · track · wave · kick · chair · cue · ground · lean

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. last — to go on
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. track — a song
  10. last — final
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. last — finally
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kick — in football
  24. chair — a professorship

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