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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: bound · hand · mark · saw · chair · wake · calf · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — a trace
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — help
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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