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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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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: fall · present · wave · safe · date · chair · lean · court

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — there
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of a king
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of law
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — the time now
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — thin
  24. date — the fruit

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