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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: wave · hand · sharp · foot · jam · rush · mate · chair

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mate — a partner
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hand — help
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chair — a leader
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rush — a thrill

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