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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: mark · spring · roll · bay · net · kick · wave · chair

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spring — of water
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — in football
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. net — in sport
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — with a leg

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