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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 120 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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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: present · rock · wave · swing · chair · shower · suit · chip

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. present — there
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — a gift
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. present — the time now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. swing — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. shower — rain
  22. rock — a stone
  23. shower — to wash
  24. suit — clothes

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