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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
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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: bass · swing · calf · last · rash · chair · date · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. date — the fruit
  11. last — finally
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. last — final
  15. swing — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. rash — hasty
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rash — on the skin

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