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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · bore · chair · swing · season · present · firm · sharp

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — the time now
  4. firm — a company
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — of the year
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. present — a gift
  10. season — in sport
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — there
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. firm — steady
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — an eyelash

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