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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 120 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
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: sharp · chair · rush · stick · rash · board · wave · row

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rash — a series
  16. chair — a leader
  17. row — to paddle
  18. board — a committee
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. row — a line
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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