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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 · mouse · bulb · fork · wind · lash · coach · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — a leader
  24. coach — a trainer

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