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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: chair · lash · wave · swing · current · coach · bore · foot

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — of water
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — music
  18. current — electric
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — with your hand

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