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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
468
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: wave · chair · drill · kick · saw · ball · craft · land

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. land — a country
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — in football
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. land — ground
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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