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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 120 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: calf · land · wave · lash · chair · rash · charge · deal

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — a price
  7. chair — a leader
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. land — ground
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. charge — in control
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — a country
  24. chair — to sit on

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