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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 · leaves · coach · kick · can · chair · ground · spell

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — magic
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — in football
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — a position

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