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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 116 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: chair · wave · lash · sharp · bound · rest · lean · cap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lean — thin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cap — a hat

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