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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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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 · foot · rest · present · band · chip · wind · chair

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. present — there
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rest — a break
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wind — moving air

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