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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: foot · fork · lie · race · chair · wave · hand · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fork — in a road
  3. race — humankind
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — help
  10. lie — to recline
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hand — part of the body

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