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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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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: club · present · rest · bear · chair · pitcher · wave · lie

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — a gift
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rest — a break
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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