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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: kick · lie · wave · wake · spell · bound · chair · shower

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — in football
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — a thrill

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