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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: nail · temple · wave · chair · season · mug · wind · ground

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chair — a leader
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — in sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a face
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ground — crushed
  24. season — to add flavour

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