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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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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: lash · deal · wound · last · firm · chair · game · wave

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a match
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. last — to go on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. last — final
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — finally

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