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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bore · fan · lash · coach · cabinet · wave · chair · bulb

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to drill
  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