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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: pop · coach · mouse · vault · wave · lash · current · chair

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. current — of water
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — soda
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — happening now
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. current — electric
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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