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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: squash · wave · stand · coach · tear · foot · bank · chair

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — to rip
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — of the sea

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