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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: chair · saw · rash · face · perch · bore · swing · lash

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. face — part of the head
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. swing — music
  24. saw — the tool

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